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HOME AFFORDABILITY GETS TOUGHER DURING SECOND QUARTER ACROSS U.S. AS PRICES SHOOT BACK UP

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Major Home-Ownership Expenses Now Consume 35 Percent of Average Wage Nationwide; Portion Hits High Point in Over a Decade as Median Home Price Soars to Another Record

IRVINE, Calif., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property and real estate data, today released its second-quarter 2024 U.S. Home Affordability Report showing that median-priced single-family homes and condos remained less affordable in the second quarter of 2024 compared to historical averages in 99 percent of counties around the nation with enough data to analyze. The latest trend continued a pattern, dating back to early 2022, of home ownership requiring historically large portions of wages around the country amid ongoing high residential mortgage rates and elevated home prices.

The report also shows that major expenses on median-priced homes consumed 35.1 percent of the average national wage in the second quarter – marking the high point since 2007 and standing well above the common 28 percent lending guideline.

Both the historic and current measures represented quarterly and annual setbacks following a brief period of improvement from late 2023 into early 2024. The shifts came as the national median home price spiked to a new high of $360,000 during the Spring buying season and mortgage rates remained around 7 percent, leading to increases in the cost of owning a home that outpaced recent increases in wages.

As a result, the portion of average wages nationwide required for typical mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance grew about three percentage points from both the first quarter of this year and the second quarter of last year.

“The latest affordability data presents a clear challenge for home buyers. While home prices are increasing and mortgage rates remain relatively high, these factors are making homes less affordable,” said Rob Barber, CEO for ATTOM. “It’s common for these trends to intensify during the Spring buying season when buyer demand increases. However, the trends this year are particularly challenging for house hunters, more so than at any point since the housing market boom began in 2012. As the 2024 buying season progresses into the Summer, we will continue to monitor the data closely.”

The patterns during the months running from April through June came as the national median home price rose 7.3 percent quarterly and 4.7 percent annually. Further hampering buyers during the second quarter were average 30-year home-mortgage rates that ended the quarter at about 6.9 percent, or more than double where they stood in 2021.

Those factors helped boost home ownership expenses by about 10 percent in the second quarter of 2024 after declining slightly in the prior two quarters.

The report determined affordability for average wage earners by calculating the amount of income needed to meet major monthly home ownership expenses — including mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance — on a median-priced single-family home, assuming a 20 percent down payment and a 28 percent maximum “front-end” debt-to-income ratio. That required income was then compared to annualized average weekly wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (see full methodology below).

Compared to historical levels, median home ownership costs in 582 of the 589 counties analyzed in the second quarter of 2024 were less affordable than in the past. That number was up just slightly from 579 of the same counties in the first quarter of this year and from 577 in the second quarter of last year. But it was more than 15 times the figure from early 2021.

Meanwhile, the portion of average local wages consumed by major home-ownership expenses on typical homes was considered unaffordable during the second quarter of 2024 in about 80 percent of the 589 counties in the report, based on the 28 percent guideline. Counties with the largest populations that were unaffordable in the second quarter were Los Angeles County, CA; Cook County (Chicago), IL; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ; San Diego County, CA, and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles).

The most populous of the 115 counties with affordable levels of major expenses on median-priced homes during the second quarter of 2024 were Harris County (Houston), TX; Wayne County (Detroit), MI; Philadelphia County, PA; Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), OH, and Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), PA.

View Q2 2024 U.S. Home Affordability Heat Map 

National median home price jumps quarterly and annually in most markets
The national median price for single-family homes and condos shot up to $360,000 in the second quarter of 2024 – $15,000 more than the previous high of $345,000 hit in the Spring of 2022. The latest figure was up from $335,500 in the first quarter of 2024 and from $344,000 in the second quarter of last year.

At the county level, median home prices rose from the first quarter to the second quarter of this year in 514, or 87.3 percent, of the 589 counties included in the report. Annually, they followed a similar pattern, up in 441, or 74.9 percent of those markets.

Data was analyzed for counties with a population of at least 100,000 and at least 50 single-family home and condo sales in the second quarter of 2024.

Among the 47 counties in the report with a population of at least 1 million, the biggest year-over-year increases in median prices during the second quarter of 2024 were in Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (up 16.2 percent); Alameda County (Oakland), CA (up 12 percent); King County (Seattle), WA (up 11.3 percent); Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA (up 9.8 percent) and Nassau County, NY (outside New York City) (up 8.9 percent).

Counties with a population of at least 1 million where median prices remained down the most from the second quarter of 2023 to the same period this year were Honolulu County, HI (down 3.8 percent); Tarrant County (Forth Worth), TX (down 1.5 percent); Oakland County, MI (outside Detroit) (down 1.4 percent); Hennepin County (Minneapolis), MN (down 1.1 percent) and Fulton County (Atlanta), GA (down 1 percent).

Prices growing faster than wages in half the U.S.
With home values mostly up annually throughout the U.S., year-over-year price changes outpaced changes in weekly annualized wages during the second quarter of 2024 in 293, or 49.7 percent, of the 589 counties analyzed in the report. (Affordability worsened because of that pattern as well as high interest rates and rising property taxes).

The latest group of counties where prices increased more than wages annually included Los Angeles County, CA; Cook County, (Chicago), IL; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ; San Diego County, CA, and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles).

On the flip side, year-over-year changes in average annualized wages bested price movements during the second quarter of 2024 in 296 of the counties analyzed (50.3 percent). The latest group where wages increased more than prices included Harris County (Houston), TX; Dallas County, TX; Queens County, NY; Tarrant County (Fort Worth), TX, and Bexar County (San Antonio), TX.

Portion of wages needed for home ownership jumps quarterly and annually in most of nation
As home prices soared and interest rates stayed relatively high, the portion of average local wages consumed by major expenses on median-priced, single-family homes and condos went up from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2024 in 547, or 92.9 percent, of the 589 counties analyzed. It topped the level from a year earlier in 92.4 percent of those markets.

The typical $2,114 cost of mortgage payments, homeowner insurance, mortgage insurance and property taxes nationwide marked a new high, consuming 35.1 percent of the average annual national wage of $72,358 last quarter. That was up from 31.9 percent in the first quarter of 2024 and from 32.1 percent in the second quarter of last year – far above the recent low point of 21.3 percent hit in the first quarter of 2021.

The latest figure exceeded the 28 percent lending guideline in 474, or 80.5 percent, of the counties analyzed, assuming a 20 percent down payment. That was up from 73.2 percent of the same group of counties in the first quarter of 2024 and 73.5 percent a year ago. It was roughly twice the level recorded in early 2021.

In more than a third of the markets analyzed, major expenses consumed at least 43 percent of average local wages, a benchmark considered seriously unaffordable.

The worst affordability declines generally hit upscale markets concentrated in the West and Northeast with second-quarter median prices of at least $450,000. Those counties already were among the most unaffordable in the U.S.

Among counties with a population of at least 1 million, the largest annual increases in the typical portion of average local wages needed for major ownership expenses were in Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (up from 85.3 percent in the second quarter of 2023 to 103.4 percent in the second quarter of 2024); Alameda County (Oakland), CA (up from 73.3 percent to 86.7 percent); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (up from 101.3 percent to 111.8 percent); Nassau County, NY (outside New York City) (up from 66.6 percent to 75.7 percent) and Los Angeles County, CA (up from 67.4 percent to 76 percent).

Affordability still toughest along northeast and west coasts
All but one of the top 20 counties where major ownership costs required the largest percentage of average local wages during the second quarter of 2024 were on the northeast or west coasts. The leaders were Santa Cruz County, CA (113.8 percent of annualized local wages needed to buy); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (111.8 percent); Marin County, CA (outside San Francisco) (109.2 percent); Maui County, HI (105.9 percent) and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (103.4 percent).

Aside from Kings and Orange counties, those with a population of at least 1 million where major ownership expenses typically consumed more than 28 percent of average local wages in the second quarter of 2024 included Alameda County (Oakland), CA (86.7 percent required); Queens County, NY (78.5 percent) and San Diego County, CA (77.2 percent).

Counties where the smallest portion of average local wages were required to afford the median-priced home during the second quarter of this year were Cambria County, PA (east of Pittsburgh) (12 percent of annualized weekly wages needed to buy a home); Macon County (Decatur), IL (13.3 percent); Peoria County, IL (14.6 percent); Schuylkill County, PA (outside Allentown) (14.6 percent) and Mercer County, PA (north of Pittsburgh) (15.2 percent).

Wage needed to afford typical home 25 percent more than U.S. average
Major home ownership expenses on typical homes sold in the second quarter of 2024 required an annual income of $90,598 to be affordable, which was 25.2 percent more than the latest average national wage of $72,358.

Annual wages of more than $75,000 were needed to pay for major costs on median-priced homes purchased during the second quarter of 2024 in 343, or 58.2 percent, of the 589 markets in the report. That posed major obstacles as average wages exceed that amount in just 11.9 percent of the counties reviewed.

The 20 largest annual wages required to afford typical homes remained on the east or west coasts, led by San Mateo County, CA ($418,928); New York County (Manhattan), NY ($407,393); Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA ($394,999); Marin County, CA (outside San Francisco) ($354,264) and San Francisco County, CA ($339,981).

The lowest annual wages required to afford a median-priced home in the second quarter of 2024 were in Cambria County, PA (east of Pittsburgh) ($20,668); Schuylkill County, PA (outside Allentown) ($27,277); Mercer Count, PA (north of Pittsburgh) ($28,130); Bibb County (Macon), GA ($31,681) and Macon County (Decatur), IL ($31,826).

Virtually every local market around U.S. remains historically less affordable
Among the 589 counties analyzed, 582, or 98.8 percent, were less affordable in the second quarter of 2024 than their historic affordability averages. That was only slightly worse than the 98.3 percent level in the first quarter of 2024 and the 98 percent portion in the second quarter of last year, but 17 times the 5.8 percent figure from the first quarter of 2021. Historical indexes worsened compared to the second quarter of last year in 92.9 percent of those counties, leaving the nationwide index at its lowest point in 17 years.

Counties with a population of at least 1 million that were less affordable than their historic averages (indexes of less than 100 are considered historically less affordable) included Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), NC (index of 59); Fulton County (Atlanta), GA (60); Wake County (Raleigh), NC (62); Franklin County (Columbus), OH (62) and Wayne County (Detroit), MI (63).

Among counties with a population of at least 1 million, those where the affordability indexes worsened most from the second quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2024 were Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (index down 17.5 percent); Alameda County (Oakland), CA (15.5 percent); Broward County (Fort Lauderdale), FL (down 12.5 percent); King County (Seattle), WA (down 12.4 percent) and Nassau County, NY (outside New York City) (down 12.1 percent).

Just 1 percent of counties are more affordable than historic averages
Only seven of the 589 counties in the report (1.2 percent) were more affordable than their historic averages in the second quarter of 2024. That was slightly less than the 2 percent level from a year earlier and far worse than the 94.2 percent portion that were historically more affordable in the first quarter of 2021.

Counties that were more affordable in the second quarter of this year compared to historical averages included Macon County (Decatur), IL (index of 117); San Francisco County, CA (105); Ontario County, NY (outside Rochester) (104); Mercer County, PA (north of Pittsburgh) (102) and New York County (Manhattan), NY (102).

Report Methodology
The ATTOM U.S. Home Affordability Index analyzed median home prices derived from publicly recorded sales deed data collected by ATTOM and average wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 589 U.S. counties with a combined population of 260.7 million during the second quarter of 2024. The affordability index is based on the percentage of average wages needed to pay for major expenses on a median-priced home with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and a 20 percent down payment. Those expenses include property taxes, home insurance, mortgage payments and mortgage insurance. Average 30-year fixed interest rates from the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey were used to calculate monthly house payments.

The report determined affordability for average wage earners by calculating the amount of income needed for major home-ownership expenses on median-priced homes, assuming a loan of 80 percent of the purchase price and a 28 percent maximum “front-end” debt-to-income ratio. For example, affording the nationwide median home price of $360,000 in the second quarter of 2024 required an annual wage of $90,598. That was based on a $72,000 down payment, a $288,000 loan and monthly expenses not exceeding the 28 percent barrier — meaning wage earners would not be spending more than 28 percent of their pay on mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance. That required income was more than the $72,358 average wage nationwide, based on the most recent average weekly wage data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, making a median-priced home nationwide unaffordable for average workers.

About ATTOM
ATTOM provides premium property data to power products that improve transparency, innovation, efficiency, and disruption in a data-driven economy. ATTOM multi-sources property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, and neighborhood data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties covering 99 percent of the nation’s population. A rigorous data management process involving more than 20 steps validates, standardizes, and enhances the real estate data collected by ATTOM, assigning each property record with a persistent, unique ID — the ATTOM ID. The 30TB ATTOM Data Warehouse fuels innovation in many industries including mortgage, real estate, insurance, marketing, government and more through flexible data delivery solutions that include ATTOM Cloud, bulk file licenses, property data APIs, real estate market trends, property navigator and more. Also, introducing our newest innovative solution, making property data more readily accessible and optimized for AI applications– AI-Ready Solutions. 

Media Contact:
Megan Hunt
megan.hunt@attomdata.com 

Data and Report Licensing:
datareports@attomdata.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/home-affordability-gets-tougher-during-second-quarter-across-us-as-prices-shoot-back-up-302188415.html

SOURCE ATTOM

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NASA Awards $1.5 Million at Watts on the Moon Challenge Finale

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59 mins ago

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September 20, 2024

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — NASA has awarded a total of $1.5 million to two U.S. teams for their novel technology solutions addressing energy distribution, management, and storage as part of the agency’s Watts on the Moon Challenge. The innovations from this challenge aim to support NASA’s Artemis missions, which will establish long-term human presence on the Moon.

This two-phase competition has challenged U.S. innovators to develop breakthrough power transmission and energy storage technologies that could enable long-duration Moon missions to advance the nation’s lunar exploration goals. The final phase of the challenge concluded with a technology showcase and winners’ announcement ceremony Friday at Great Lakes Science Center, home of the visitor center for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

“Congratulations to the finalist teams for developing impactful power solutions in support of NASA’s goal to sustain human presence on the Moon,” said Kim Krome-Sieja, acting program manager for NASA Centennial Challenges at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “These technologies seek to improve our ability to explore and make discoveries in space and could have implications for improving power systems on Earth.”

The winning teams are:

First prize ($1 million): High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution of Santa Barbara, CaliforniaSecond prize ($500,000): Orbital Mining Corporation of Golden, Colorado

Four teams were invited to refine their hardware and deliver full system prototypes in the final stage of the competition, and three finalist teams completed their technology solutions for demonstration and assessment at NASA Glenn. The technologies were the first power transmission and energy storage prototypes to be tested by NASA in a vacuum chamber mimicking the freezing temperature and absence of pressure found at the permanently shadowed regions of the Lunar South Pole. The simulation required the teams’ power systems to demonstrate operability over six hours of solar daylight and 18 hours of darkness with the user three kilometers (nearly two miles) away from the power source.

During this competition stage, judges scored the finalists’ solutions based on a Total Effective System Mass (TESM) calculation, which measures the effectiveness of the system relative to its size and weight – or mass – and the total energy provided by the power source. The highest-performing solution was identified based on having the lowest TESM value – imitating the challenges that space missions face when attempting to reduce mass while meeting the mission’s electrical power needs.

Team H.E.L.P.S. (High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution) from University of California, Santa Barbara, won the grand prize for their hardware solution, which had the lowest mass and highest efficiency of all competitors. The technology also featured a special cable operating at 800 volts and an innovative use of energy storage batteries on both ends of the transmission system. They also employed a variable radiation shield to switch between conserving heat during cold periods and disposing of excess heat during high power modes. The final 48-hour test proved their system design effectively met the power transmission, energy storage, and thermal challenges in the final phase of competition.

Orbital Mining Corporation, a space technology startup, received the second prize for its hardware solution that also successfully completed the 48-hour test with high performance. They employed a high-voltage converter system coupled with a low-mass cable and a lithium-ion battery.

“The energy solutions developed by the challenge teams are poised to address NASA’s space technology priorities,” said Amy Kaminski, program executive for Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “These solutions support NASA’s recently ranked civil space shortfalls, including in the top category of surviving and operating through the lunar night.”

During the technology showcase and winners’ announcement ceremony, NASA experts, media, and members of the public gathered to see the finalist teams’ technologies and hear perspectives from the teams’ participation in the challenge. After the winners were announced, event attendees were also welcome to meet NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen.

The Watts on the Moon Challenge is a NASA Centennial Challenge led by NASA Glenn. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center manages Centennial Challenges, which are part of the agency’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA contracted HeroX to support the administration of this challenge.

For more information on NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/wattson

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-awards-1-5-million-at-watts-on-the-moon-challenge-finale-302254470.html

SOURCE NASA

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Kits Eyecare Ltd. Files Final Prospectus For Secondary Offering of Common Shares

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59 mins ago

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September 20, 2024

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Final Short Form Prospectus Accessible on SEDAR+

/THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 20, 2024 /CNW/ – Kits Eyecare Ltd. (TSX: KITS) (“KITS” or the “Company”), a leading vertically integrated eyecare provider, is pleased to announce that it has filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of Canada, other than Québec, and obtained a receipt for, a final short form prospectus (the “Final Prospectus”) in connection with the previously announced secondary offering of common shares of the Company (the “Common Shares”) pursuant to which Canaccord Genuity Corp., as sole bookrunner and co-lead underwriter, together with Beacon Securities Limited, as co-lead underwriter, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the “Underwriters”) have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal basis, an aggregate of 1,125,000 Common Shares held by Roger Hardy and entities managed by Roger Hardy (the “Hardy Shareholders”), LD Group Holdings Ltd. (“LD Group”) and Joseph Thompson (together with the Hardy Shareholders and LD Group, the “Selling Securityholders”) at an offering price of $10.15 per share (the “Offering Price”) for total gross proceeds to the Selling Securityholders of $11,418,750 (the “Offering”). KITS will not receive any proceeds from the Offering.

The Underwriters have also been granted an over-allotment option (the “Over-Allotment Option”) to purchase up to an additional 168,750 Common Shares from the Selling Securityholders at the Offering Price for additional gross proceeds of $1,712,812.50 if the Over-Allotment Option is exercised in full. The Over-Allotment Option can be exercised at any time, in whole or in part, for a period of 30 days from the closing date of the Offering, which is expected to occur on or about September 26, 2024 and is subject to certain customary closing conditions.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the 1933 Act or under any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act, and applicable U.S. state securities laws.

Access to the Final Prospectus and any amendment is provided in accordance with securities legislation relating to procedures for providing access to a short form prospectus and any amendment. The Final Prospectus is accessible on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. An electronic or paper copy of the Final Prospectus and any amendment may be obtained, without charge, from Canaccord Genuity Corp. at ecm@cgf.com by providing the contact with an email address or address, as applicable.

About KITS

KITS makes eyecare easy. KITS is a leading vertically integrated digital eyecare brand providing eyewear for eyes everywhere. We offer customers access to a vast selection of contact lenses and eyeglasses, including our own exclusive KITS designed products, as well as a robust suite of online vision tools. Our efficient digital platform, backed by our industry-leading manufacturing and designs, removes intermediaries, and enables us to offer great prices and deliver made to order personalized products with incredible care and accuracy. We are creating disruption in the industry by constantly pursuing cutting-edge technologies to enable the best customer experience, including online eyewear fitting tools, and virtual try-on for glasses. We strive to delight our customers with our competitive prices, a convenient digital shopping experience, fast and reliable delivery options, and an unrelenting focus on earning our customers’ lifelong trust. For more information on KITS, visit: www.kits.com.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain information in this press release, including statements relating to the closing date of the Offering, and the exercise by the Underwriters of the Over-Allotment Option, constitutes forward-looking information. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “targets”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “an opportunity exists”, “is positioned”, “estimates”, “intends”, “assumes”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate” or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “will” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events.

Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by KITS as of the date of this press release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to the factors described in greater detail under the “Risk Factors” sections of the management’s annual information form, discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of KITS for the 3-month and 6-month periods ended June 30, 2024, each available at www.sedarplus.ca. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect KITS; however, these factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. In particular, the closing of the Offering is subject to customary closing conditions and there can be no assurance that all such conditions will be satisfied. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and KITS expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE KITS Eyecare Ltd.

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Disparities Narrowing Among Patients Undergoing Blood Stem Cell Transplant, Roswell Park Study Reveals

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2 hours ago

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September 20, 2024

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Historically, some patients with blood cancers have been less likely than others to receive stem cell transplant, also known as bone marrow transplant. Theresa Hahn, PhD, of Roswell Park is lead author of a new study showing that older adults and Black patients are much less likely than people from other groups to receive a blood stem cell transplant.

BUFFALO, N.Y., Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ —

Study led by Dr. Theresa Hahn published in JAMA Network OpenNumber of transplants for blood cancers rose from 2009 to 2018Research team analyzed trends in transplant utilization for that period

Every year, more than 22,000 patients in the U.S. undergo a potentially lifesaving blood stem cell transplant — often called a “bone marrow transplant” — for the treatment of hematologic diseases. But historically, some patients with blood cancers have been less likely than others to receive the treatment. Theresa Hahn, PhD, of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is lead author of a new study in the journal JAMA Network Open showing that while progress has been made in reducing those disparities, older adults and Black patients are much less likely than people from other groups to receive a blood stem cell transplant.

“This study shows that while progress has been made to reduce disparities among racial and ethnic groups, there’s a need to improve hematopoietic cell transplant utilization rates in older adults and in Black patients of all ages.” — Theresa Hahn, PhD, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

The research team analyzed data provided by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) for 136,280 patients who underwent hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) in the U.S. between 2009 and 1018, comparing those numbers with the incidence of six blood cancers (acute myeloid and lymphoblastic leukemia, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome) in various age, race and ethnic groups the U.S. as reported by the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program.

The team found that during that period, the use of HCT increased for the treatment of most blood cancers — and rose among all age, race and ethnic groups.

The researchers also discovered that in the most recent years analyzed, from 2017-2018:

The rate of HCT utilization for blood cancers rose among Hispanic and younger patients to equal the rate of non-Hispanic white patients.Non-Hispanic Black patients had a lower rate of HCT for all six diseases studied.Pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients had a higher rate than adult patients of allogeneic HCT, which involves receiving cells from a healthy donor.

“This study shows that while progress has been made to reduce disparities among racial and ethnic groups, there’s a need to improve hematopoietic cell transplant utilization rates in older adults and in Black patients of all ages,” says Dr. Hahn, Professor of Oncology in the Department of Cancer Prevention and Control at Roswell Park and the study’s first author.

The research team also include Dr. Hahn’s Roswell Park colleague Megan Herr, PhD, and collaborators from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the CIBMTR; and the Mayo Clinic.

From the world’s first chemotherapy research to the PSA prostate cancer biomarker, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center generates innovations that shape how cancer is detected, treated and prevented worldwide. Driven to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity, the Roswell Park team of 4,000 makes compassionate, patient-centered cancer care and services accessible across New York State and beyond. Founded in 1898, Roswell Park was among the first three cancer centers nationwide to become a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and is the only one to hold this designation in Upstate New York. To learn more about Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Roswell Park Care Network, visit http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.

Media Contact

Julia Telford, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, 716-845-4919, julia.telford@roswellpark.org, roswellpark.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/disparities-narrowing-among-patients-undergoing-blood-stem-cell-transplant-roswell-park-study-reveals-302254312.html

SOURCE Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

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